You Done Me Good, Mr. 13"x9"

So back in March of 2001 my co-workers had a lunchtime bridal shower for me. I remember it well.  Lots of (potluck) food, a crowded conference room and many gifts.  A lot of those gifts were Pampered Chef items.  Not only did the hubby and I have a store registry but I was able to put a wish list together from one of the ladies at my work that sold Pampered Chef.  Of course there were folks that chose to go that route because it was easy peasy shopping.  They just walked over to her desk, picked something from my wish list and wrote her a check.  Super easy bridal shower shopping for them and more PC goodies for me.  Oh yes I was happy to open all of those gifts that were from The Pampered Chef.  Before my bridal shower I had already attended three PC parties but I didn't buy very much because I was a bride-to-be on a budget so I only bought the knick knack stuff.  You know like that orange peeler that everyone hopes to win as a door prize?  Well at least that's how it was when I attended the parties. That little orange peeler sure was popular (and cheap) but everybody wanted to win it.  It really is the little things that thrill us.  :)

One of the many Pampered Chefs gifts I received was the 13"x9" stoneware baking pan.  I absolutely looooooved it and I used it hundreds of times over the past thirteen years.  I mean I really, really loved it so you can imagine how sad I was when I pulled it out recently to make my Baked Penne Pasta.

You should have seen me.  I was a little ridiculous for a few minutes.  And I do mean a few minutes.  I acted as if the world was over.  It's not but the use of this awesome stoneware is and lemme tell ya, it's not the same with those glass pans.  Even though the measurements are the same for this stoneware and my glass baking pans, this one definitely has more room.  I don't know why the measurements are the same because this one was always more reliable when it came to my "hefty" dishes like the oh so good Baked Mac n Cheese thanks to Mr. Alton Brown.

I guess I have to buy another one even though this one is guaranteed or has a warranty or something like that.  Although it is an obvious Pampered Chef product, it won't be replaced because I don't have the receipt. Yeah right because that's what people do when they gift this things. At the time there were no gift receipts for PC products and I don't know if they have them now.  Oh well.

Just the Two of Us

As I said in my previous post, my boy went to go spend a week with Grandma.  Little sister stayed with Mr. DP3 & me and she is missing her big "brudder" muy, muy bad.  She adores him and always wants to be with him.  Needless to say, she is asking about him every.chance.she.gets.  It is cute and heartbreaking at the same time. 

Therefore, I thought I would distract and cheer her up a bit.  Strawberries are her fave.  Chocolate dipped strawberries are mine.  Aha!  The perfect mother-daughter bonding time.  I went to the store and bought a container of organic strawberries and some Baker's white chocolate.  I have only made these once before and they turned out okay.  Coulda been better.  Probably because I used chocolate chips and added some butter like the not-that-great-recipe I came across said to do so.  This time I did more research and got some great tips from one of my very favorite cooking websites: Allrecipes.

We got down to bidness right after dinner.  No wait, we were watching So You Think You Can Dance and were doing our own leaps, rond de jambes, attitudes, jazz hands, high kicks, and step-ball-changes.  She even struck a pose at the end of every song.  My girl is a natural dancer and that tickles me pink.  She is such a 5-6-7-8! girl.  Love it. 

{Confession: I claim to have once been a dancer and dog-gone don't I wish I would have given it a real chance}

After we finished our routines, we got down to strawberry bidness.  I rinsed the strawberries and dried them with paper towels over and over.  It is best to get them as dry as possible.  We then inserted toothpicks in each one for dipping purposes.

I then did the double boiler thing.  At first, I only put half the box of white chocolate but quickly realized I was going to need the whole box.  I stirred and turned the flame off when a little more than half had melted.  I kept stirring until it all melted and incorporated together.


It's hard to tell here but I do have a glass
bowl over a simmering pot of water.

Then the fun part began.  I dipped a couple of strawberries while my girl anxiously watched and waited for her turn.  Once I gave her the go ahead, she started dipping left and right.  She was really enjoying it and kept saying how pretty they looked.  Actually, she kinda took over and did the majority of them herself.  I ended up being assistant and adjusted toothpicks here and there.  I was happy to have cheered her up and she seemed very proud of herself.

She even told Mr. DP3 that she "made chrawberries with chaclit white and Mama too!"  Adorbs.



Her chrawberries with chaclit white.  :)

 Mission accomplished!  Or so I thought.  Little Sister asked for her brudder at bath time and bedtime.  Oh brother.